HOW TO FASTEN.
Before a trapper has much experience he loses much of his game, after
it has been caught, by not having his traps properly fastened. Having
his traps so securely staked that anything caught can get a dead pull
is usually the way the trapper with little experience fails.
How many of you are still driving stakes into the ground and
otherwise fastening your traps so that when an animal is caught, it
pulls on the chain? In trapping for muskrat, the stake may be used,
but for any other animal, never. Even in the case of the muskrat the
sliding pole is much better. This device is made as follows: Cut a
pole or bush, say six or eight feet long, trimming off the branches
so that the ring will readily slide nearly the length of the pole. On
the end leave a few branches or short twigs so the ring will not
slide off. The other end can be stuck into the bank or tied with the
small end extending out into deep water. When a rat is caught, it
makes for deep water and is drowned. If you use stakes to fasten your
traps for muskrat, set them out into the water as far as possible so
that your game cannot get to the land and will soon drown.
[Illustration: THE SLIDING POLE.]
The proper way to secure your trap, when trapping for other animals
than muskrat, is to drive the staple into a small bush as shown in
illustration, or the chain can be looped around the bush near the
end, with a branch or two left on to keep the chain from slipping
off. The size of the bush can be determined from the sized animals
you are trapping. If there are no bushes convenient, a piece of fence
rail or chunk will answer, altho these will not give so readily as
the bush, which will move easily with each and every lunge of the
animal caught so that its chances of getting out of the trap are
lessened.
[Illustration: A STAPLE FASTENING.]
When your trap is thus fastened, the game will often get several feet
or perhaps rods away from the den, but it is an easy matter to find
the trap and game. If in an open field, a glance around will usually
find the bush and game, while if in the woods, a trail will be left
that can easily be followed.
The important fact that traps thus fastened give with each and every
pull and struggle of the animal should not be overlooked; in fact, if
the trap has not a firm hold, the bush gives so easily that there is
no chance for the animal to get a dead pull--that is, a solid one.
See that all traps are fastened as above described and one of the
principal causes of failure will have been remedied to a great extent
and your game will not get away after once being caught.
In case a trapper cannot visit his traps very often, or he is annoyed
by the presence of those animals that are liable to destroy his
catch, the use of the spring pole for dry land trapping will be found
very efficient in preventing the loss of game.
This contrivance is designed to lift the trapped animal high in the
air and thus both hamper it in its efforts to escape and prevent
other animals from devouring it. It is made as follows: If possible,
select a standing sapling for the purpose. If this cannot be done,
then cut a pole from some elastic wood, trim and drive it firmly in
the ground, then fasten the trap chain to the upper end. Now bend
down and catch the small end under a notched peg or root in such a
way that the least struggle of an animal in the trap will release the
pole and lift him high in the air. Of course the trapper will
proportion the strength of his pole to the size of his intended
victim.
All trappers have experienced a feeling of regret when visiting traps
where game has been caught and escaped. The ones who properly fasten
traps seldom have their game escape, altho occasionally, when not
securely caught and the trapper does not make his rounds often, an
animal will get away.
[Illustration: SHALLOW WATER SET.]
For a shallow water set we commend the one shown above. Place a
second stake eight or ten inches from the fastening stake having
short stubs on both and the animal will soon wind himself up around
the two and drown.